WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
-
- Member
- Posts: 304
- Joined: 27 Apr 2014, 23:30
WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Can anyone helo me identify it? It appears to be a WW2 Japanese artillery sighting device or a clinometer for a machine gun. Does anyone know for sure what it is? It measures approx 4.5 by 4.5 inches. There is a moveable spirit level that whose height can be adjusted via the knob. Thanks a lot! Please see attached pics.
- Attachments
-
- Jap Sighting device 002.JPG (61.88 KiB) Viewed 1025 times
-
- Jap Sighting device 003.JPG (58.21 KiB) Viewed 1025 times
-
- Jap Sighting device 004.JPG (51.24 KiB) Viewed 1025 times
-
- Jap Sighting Device 005.JPG (60.77 KiB) Viewed 1025 times
-
- Financial supporter
- Posts: 5669
- Joined: 16 May 2010, 15:12
- Location: United States of America
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Might be for a mortar?
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Almost certianly for a mortar or an Artillery "gunlayers" aiming device.... don't think its for a machinegun...too big? The Japanese certianly made nice fitted boxes for many of thier "things"....always liked these sorts of artifacts....
John G.
John G.
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Field clinometer, given that the max elevation is a tad less than 45 degrees it's probably for a gun. not a machine gun But it is very crude, there being no micrometer scale, so perhaps some crude like a MG.
-
- Member
- Posts: 1404
- Joined: 26 May 2007, 16:22
- Location: USA
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
This is a gunners quadrant used with the Type 11(1922) 70 MM mortar. Source page 144, "Special Series NO 19, Japanese Infantry Weapons, Military Intelligence Section, War Department, 31 Dec 1943.
-
- Member
- Posts: 1404
- Joined: 26 May 2007, 16:22
- Location: USA
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Here is the pertinent page.
-
- Financial supporter
- Posts: 5669
- Joined: 16 May 2010, 15:12
- Location: United States of America
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
I thought it was a mortar accessory. Thanks.
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Field Clinometer in proper English. Strange having a mortar with max elevation of only 55 degrees.
-
- Financial supporter
- Posts: 5669
- Joined: 16 May 2010, 15:12
- Location: United States of America
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Any more vertical and the round might land too close to the tube.gambadier wrote:Field Clinometer in proper English. Strange having a mortar with max elevation of only 55 degrees.
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Must have been extremely short range, most mortars can fire a max elevation notably greater even when they have quite short max ranges. If you've got a mortar pit then dropping bombs 50 yards away isn't a problem.
-
- Financial supporter
- Posts: 5669
- Joined: 16 May 2010, 15:12
- Location: United States of America
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
A pit can be a luxury. I've seen them fired off the bow of river boats. And the round doesn't always fly as intended.gambadier wrote:Must have been extremely short range, most mortars can fire a max elevation notably greater even when they have quite short max ranges. If you've got a mortar pit then dropping bombs 50 yards away isn't a problem.
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
If mortar bombs don't 'fly as intended', then the users probably do not know what they are doing. Of course using a moving platform is unlikely to help, but it's quite difficult to stuff up mortar firing on firm ground. They are designed to be simple to use. They are no complex weapon systems.
-
- Financial supporter
- Posts: 5669
- Joined: 16 May 2010, 15:12
- Location: United States of America
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Um, "sh*t happens" would apply. Not ever bomb is manufactured perfectly.gambadier wrote:If mortar bombs don't 'fly as intended', then the users probably do not know what they are doing. Of course using a moving platform is unlikely to help, but it's quite difficult to stuff up mortar firing on firm ground. They are designed to be simple to use. They are no complex weapon systems.
-
- Member
- Posts: 304
- Joined: 27 Apr 2014, 23:30
Re: WW2 Japanese Sighting Device -Help ID Please
Thanks a great deal for the information and the photo.ROLAND1369 wrote:Here is the pertinent page.